For some reason I'm having trouble publishing. I did post this on Monday at 5:30, regardless of when you're reading it.

So now I'm back from Minnesota! I have loads of new experiences and ideas, including:

1. Performing a scene entirely on my knees, screaming about decaying bodies in a pit.

2. Performing in a (different) scene in which I was seduced by a woman. Well, she was Cherubino, which is always a pants role (another turn as Rosina Almaviva for me, hooray!). But we spent several minutes on the floor, down and center, cuddling and giggling, and eventually s/he kissed me. It was pretty difficult to maintain that kind of focus. It got rave reviews from the lesbians in the audience, though. :)

3. There is no one perfect singing sound. And if you think there is, you're not allowing your voice to portray emotions.

4. My body is not actually my enemy.

5. Not one binge episode while up North. Unless you count the day when I had two rice cakes alone in my room. (Evil!) I think it was partially because I was almost never alone, and partially because I didn't have time to think about it. Let's hope this was a jumping off point for me.

6. I missed Mark SOOOOOO much. Particularly when I was rolling around on parquet with a chick. I got my period Saturday night, so our Welcome Home celebration was cut short. (TMI: I had never had intercourse during my period before. It just didn't work, for either one of us. Who knew?) Big news is coming on the Mark front, though I can't reveal more than that at this time.

7. I had really bad allergies the entire time I was up there. That totally sucked. I was able to pull it together most days, but Friday I had to sing this aria, and I ended up only doing half of it--I just could not sing a B-natural, period. It was extremely frustrating. I don't have to sing again until Sunday morning, so I plan on resting this week.

I owe you all e-mails and phone calls and stuff. Rest assured they are coming.

p.s. Helen--CONGRATULATIONS! You couldn't have picked a better weekend, actually! And Mark will be there, provided he's invited. :)

p.p.s. I'm still working out this new color scheme. I was getting really tired of the mustard color.